Venom
by TheDepraved
Summary: (Set during the four year time-lapse of the anime, and thus makes no real change.) After his escape from No. 6 Nezumi finds himself in a new environment full of organized violence and corruption. With execution pending, a deviant 'prince charming' offers to save Nezumi, for a price - his body, and his soul. Male OC/Nezumi pairing that has been approved by a few core NezuShi fans.
1. Savior

**A/N: (means Author's Note for those'a you who don't know) So... watched No. 06 in two nights on Hulu a while back... and found myself loving the series even before the boy on boy kisses. As usual, my ever-restless mind couldn't resist forming a plot that crept into the back of my mind and planted itself there like a tainted tree of lust and violence with fruit so forbidden I almost considered chopping it down... But I didn't! And as a result I got 16 pages of plotline that I could easily extend to a handful of long chapters full of sex, love, violence, and one too-pretty-for-his-own-good boy of twelve years old... **

**That's right. Twelve. Meaning this is a yaoi shota story. (I did say the fruit was forbidden!) **

**If that hasn't said enough, I'll give the explicit warnings now.**

**This story will contain male on male sexual activities, including but not limited to: manual stimulation, oral stimulation, and anal stimulation. **

**This story will revolve around a prepubescent Nezumi and a young 'mafia-style' gangster named Cobra. (GangSTER not GangSTA. He won't "put a cap in yo' ass" but he's no stranger to killing.)**

**This story will include several moments of detailed violence, including but not limited to: broken bones, crushed appendages, amputation of limbs, mutilation, and murder. **

**This story will include themes of prostitution, slavery, drug and alcohol use, and child abuse.**

**HOWEVER! The primary elements of the story consist of emotional tenderness, an abundance of unwanted affection (from a caring Cobra to a reluctant Nezumi,) and dramatic feel-good fuzziness with a good mix of humor in the strangest of places. Cobra may be something of a cynical narcissist with bloodstains on his hands, but he's a good person at heart.**

**Final warning: If it hasn't been noticed yet I like long sentences and big fancy words, and I use them often. Even with context clues abound those of you with limited vocabularies may struggle, particularly with Cobra's dialogue. I assure you that these words ARE in fact real, and can easily be looked up.**

**Unbearably long Author's Note complete - let's jump into it!**

* * *

Three years... three excessively long years filled to the brim with great frustration and heated arguments and finally, _**finally, **_Cobra had inherited the spoils of war: profitable territory to rake in more coin, henchmen to do his bidding, and the masses to freely rule over within the family's rules and guidelines. Like a prince Cobra strutted through the squalid streets, his pale, flaxen blonde hair shining bright in the sun as it framed the delicate features of his face with short bangs in the front that just barely touched his subtle eyebrows and two long tufts on either side that covered his ears and curved inwards, brushing across his pale white cheeks while the rest of his hair curved outwards in the back and hovered just over his shoulders while falling down the back of his neck in perfect symmetry. With every step his bright golden eyes were set on the deep blue sky above, admiring the beauty of the emptiness above that loomed overhead in stark contrast to the hideous surroundings of the littered ground. But Cobra knew that he couldn't keep his head in the clouds for long... not without getting lost or bumping into things, anyway.

"_My brother did such a poor job of maintaining this place when he was alive..."_ Cobra droned in his thoughts as he lowered his gaze back down to take in the poor condition of his new turf. The buildings were crumbling, the water was putrid, and a majority of the people were sick or dying. And let's not forget the horrible smell; it seemed every last nook and cranny of the dark alleyways was filled with rotting corpses - some of them not even human! But the worst part of this new territory were the people... They sneered at their new figure of authority, uttering curses and threats under their breaths and spitting on the ground in front of him, and all because of the deeds of his family...

It wasn't as if Cobra could truly blame them - after all his father had led a hostile takeover of the entire West Block and it wasn't like he had done much to improve things - but still, their overall attitude towards him was highly irritating. _"It will take some time to gain their favor, and no small amount of coin to make the necessary improvements on such a large territory, but even so the acquired numbers alone will finally put me in an advantageous position..." _Cobra thought idly to himself as he patrolled deeper into his new district to further inspect the living conditions, _"Alas, these poor people have been forced to live in such squalor for the longest time. I'll have to prioritize things carefully if I'm going to afford all of the needed upgrades... Clean water first, obviously, and a disposal crew to take care of the filth that has overtaken the alleyways... I can only assume that they care little for traditional burials considering the number of corpses lying about, so perhaps a crematory for the deceased..? Anything would be better than leaving cadavers to rot where they fall; it's a wonder the people haven't all suffered some sort of deadly plague by now, but I suppose a life born in filth would have a much higher immunity to it than an outsider such as myself... Over half of the district seems to have lost electrical power as well, assuming they ever had it to begin with, that is... I'll have to inspect that in detail a little later... And then there's the-"_

"Let me go, you jerk!"

"_Hmm?"_ Cobra stopped and turned his head in the direction of the abrupt cry that had interrupted his thoughts, _"It appears that my peaceful reconnaissance patrol has taken an interesting turn."_ Curious, Cobra followed the all-too-familiar sounds of a heated skirmish into a darkened alleyway, and with every step he took the dull cracking sounds of connecting blows became louder. It wasn't uncommon for such a thing to happen, of course, but that voice... it was a far cry from the call of a toughened brute or thug... Finally, after twisting though the hidden streets of the district, Cobra came to the source of the noise.

Four of his newly-inherited gang members were standing in a half-circle around the wall of a building, each man laughing and grinning sadistically as they landed kick after kick on a small, dark-haired mass that was curled into a ball between them. Barely audible over the commotion were pained whimpers, and the occasional soft plea for the beating to stop.

At a casual pace Cobra sauntered closer, and in a bored, nonchalant tone he spoke out to gain their attention. "Now what have we here..?" he called out impartially, "Are my men so bored that they must resort to beating innocent little girls on the streets to stave off the monotony?"

All at once the men set their sights on Cobra, angered at first that their fun had been interrupted until they realized just who had spoken to them. There was no mistaking it... the long, elegant beige cloak with the white fur trim around the collar, the matching beige pants that tucked into fur-trimmed boots, the single white glove on his left hand, and attached to a white belt was Cobra's trademark sword: the golden rapier. "Ain't no girl, Boss," the more muscular of the thugs replied curtly, and gave the small body beneath him another hard kick, "This little dick owes us big!"

"Oh..?" In a bored tone Cobra voiced a hint of interest, and stepped forward to take a better look. As he came in range he gently parted his way through the gang members, setting himself between the small, bloodied victim and his men. _"Still breathing, at least..."_ Cobra thought to himself as he saw it move, but even with the closer view it looked far too petite to be a boy. With the tip of his beige boot Cobra pushed the child out of its fetal position, and rolled it onto its back. Dark bluish hair fell in frazzled strands around a beautiful, but beaten and swollen face, and two dull gray eyes peered up at Cobra, barely clinging to focus. The small framed body was covered in ragged and recently-bloodied clothing, and though the longsleeve sweater and dark shorts appeared to be boyish, it still wasn't enough to convince him. With a sort of careless inquisitiveness Cobra hovered his boot over the child's groin, and with a few downward taps onto a distinctively male mass between the legs it became clear, "Sure enough, it really is a boy..." Satisfied with his investigation Cobra set his foot back on the ground, and turned around to face the gang members with a much more important inquiry, "What is his offense?"

This time it was a rather dopey-looking member who spoke up, and with a distinctive slur in his voice he answered, "Tha lil' brat wuz caught stealin'! An' once he got hisself caught he turned on our boys wif a knife! Killed free of 'em, he did! An' Toshi lost an eye!"

For just a moment Cobra was a little lost, but once he went over the words again he soon understood what was meant. "So he knifed down three of you..." he commented idly, and glanced down at the child. "Tell me, then, which of you is responsible for heading up his capture?" Cobra inquired, and turned to face the four with a faint smirk set on his lips, "Unlike my brother I like to reward my men."

Without a second thought the muscled brute of the group stepped forward. "I am," he declared confidently in a gruff tone, "I had the punk pounded into the ground before the rest even showed up."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Cobra replied with a smile, and stretched his ungloved hand out towards the other man. He latched on firmly as the brute accepted the handshake, but rather than shaking his hand Cobra tightened his grip further, until he could feel the bones in the man's hand give way. There was a sickening chorus of cracking sounds as the bones shattered under the pressure of Cobra's grasp, coupled with a deep, roaring cry of pain as the brute was overcome by the unexpected agony. Cobra's smile had transformed into a sinister, disgusted glare, and with a strong, well-placed kick he sent the larger man flying into the wall of the building behind him.

In shock the other gang members gawked at their new boss, while their howling companion slid to the ground and desperately clung to his broken hand. Nobody moved, both bewildered and terrified as they tried to come to terms with the sudden, drastic transformation of their new leader's demeanor.

"Be grateful for my mercy," Cobra hissed at the lot of them, with remorseless golden eyes glaring at each thug in turn, "for the next hand I see raised to a child will be severed by my blade, and shoved down the owner's throat." Cobra smirked as the gang members fell quiet, aside from the sniveling of the one with the broken hand, at least, but with a passing show of remorse he glanced back at the beaten boy. "But alas, child or not... all debts must be repaid," he stated firmly as if reciting a sacred code, and uncomfortably he shifted his tongue in his mouth. With one hand set on the hilt of his rapier Cobra's attention returned to the group of gang members, and he gave out his first set of orders. "I want the two of you lug the crying oaf to the clinic," he commanded firmly, then pointed to the third member, "And you... You will take the child, _**gently**_, to the manor, and inform my father of what happened. You are to warn all who handle him that if I see one more scratch appear there will be blood to pay, understood?"

With a shaky nod the third member took a few slow steps forward and nervously walked past Cobra for the boy, while the other two struggled to lift the muscled brute off the ground. For the past three years the gang members had been able to roam around and do as they pleased, and before then their commander was just as cruel and ruthless as the worst of them. Now, a new leader was put in control, and this first encounter with him was leaving a strong impression... Play time was over. New rules were being put into place. Obedience was required. And the punishments for stepping out of line were far steeper than ever before.

Cobra merely observed as the thugs followed his commands, and only after they had all dispersed did his fierce glower fade. With a sigh he looked down at the spatters of blood on the ground, where the child had just lain helpless. _"Such a beautiful little boy..." _Cobra thought idly, and slid his gloved fingertips over the lock of flaxen hair that curved into his face, _"Unless I intervene his fate will be sealed... Pity."_ Sharply Cobra raised his golden eyes back to the empty blue sky, and again he found himself longing for that beautiful serenity. _"You are too cruel, gravity, for keeping me down here. Oh what I wouldn't give to ascend into the endless sky and leave behind this fractured world of filth and contention..." _With another sigh Cobra set his sights on the pathway to the main road, a frown tugging at his lips as he looked at the eyesore of a city around him, and he finally returned to his patrol. _"Hmm, now where was I..?"_ Cobra wondered as he got back on the main road,_ "Water, cremation, electricity... Ah, building conditions..." _

...

For nearly half an hour his thoughts had halted. Or rather, his thoughts refused to focus on his chosen task. Every step that Cobra took felt heavy and weighted, and no matter how hard he tried he could never push his thoughts forward again. Something felt strange, _**wrong,**_ as if he was walking forward while some unseen force was trying to pull him in the other direction... It made his hair stand on end.

"_Unless you intervene his fate will be sealed."_

Cobra shook his head in shock as he heard an unfamiliar voice speak out from within his own mind. The words were practically his own, but the one who said it was obviously a woman. _"How strange... Never before have I had trouble with hearing voices," _Cobra thought to himself as his walking slowed to a stop. He could feel it even stronger then, the sensation that something, or **_someone_**, was trying to pull him back. A chill ran down Cobra's spine, and he slowly turned his head to see if anything was behind him.

"_You know what will happen if you do nothing!"_

Set in time with the words a searing pain split through Cobra's head, and with a sharp hiss he raised his ungloved hand to the side of his face to clench his skull. _"Okay, I get it! I'll go!" _he cried out in his thoughts, and to his relief the paid ceased, _"Who would have thought that growing a conscience would induce so much pain..?" _For just a moment he caught his breath, but a brief pricking sensation in his temple prompted him to move. With one quick motion Cobra turned around and dashed off, running at top speed in the direction of the place that he hated to be the most: home...

In no more than ten minutes Cobra had made it to the black iron gates of the family manor, and immediately the posted guards let him through. In disgust Cobra glared at the massive white building, but rather than retreating to the West Wing - now his entirely after his older brother's death - he set his eyes on the main entrance. With silent footsteps he climbed the twenty white-stone stairs, and quietly slipped in through the glass doors. The grande hall was beautiful as always: large white columns rose from the stone floor to the domed ceiling, and a stunning chandelier dangled in the very center of the room, reflecting small rainbows of light on the various paintings and artifacts that decorated the walls. The self-declared "Serpent King" lived the life of extreme luxury, while the people lived in oppression, poverty, and fear - it was simply appalling.

In utter silence Cobra skulked around the main hall, being careful not to make a single sound to ensure that no one took notice as he delved deeper into his father's domain. Most of the rooms throughout the halls were empty, a telltale sign that the meeting had already been called. Already Cobra knew that the doors to the meeting room would no doubt be guarded, but he had long since found ways to obtain the information that he needed. With a subtle, confident smirk Cobra picked the lock his father's study, and entered with perfect muteness. The room was empty, but a few murmurs shy of quiet, and soon enough Cobra was able to pick up on the conversation that was being held in the room just behind the far end of the wall. _"Seems as though they're already speaking of the boy..." _Cobra thought to himself as he distinctively heard his father's voice over the rest.

"Goro, Katashi, and Seiji... Those three were Viper's most trusted men. It's a shame that they too have been murdered, but at least their killer will not escape unpunished, as Viper's did."

"My lord, murderer or not he is but a child. Is there no room for mercy?"

"Mercy..? Would you wish mercy on the boy if it was one of **your** faithful followers that died, Raijiro?"

"... no, my lord."

"Hmph. I thought not. The punishment stands as it would for any other man. Three lives and an eye to pay for; the child will be publicly beaten and executed in the square tomorrow at high noon. That is my final decision... Now, on to the next order of business. How are the trade deals with Number 6 going?"

Cobra had heard enough, and with his gloved hand set thoughtfully on his chin he leaned back against the closed door. The impending punishment was just as severe as he had expected, but luckily he had picked up on a few important details. _"There is only one way to get around this little ordeal," _Cobra quickly realized, and started to formulate a plan, _"But it will only work if the boy decides to cooperate." _Satisfied with his gathered information Cobra left the room, and slipped back through the hallways unnoticed. Once he returned to the beginning of the grande hall Cobra stopped at a particular painting, one depicting a beautiful woman chained to a dungeon wall while being stripped naked by a serpent as it coiled around her, and after taking a quick look around to ensure that no one was around Cobra reached his gloved left hand out towards the painting, and shamelessly poked the crying woman's erect nipple. A few small clicking sounds were heard, and the painting sunk back into the wall before opening from a hinge hidden within the frame.

With light footsteps Cobra slipped behind the secret door, and closed the painting behind him before walking through the darkened stairway. In a strange sense Cobra had actually taken a liking to having such a medieval-style dungeon, but on this particular venture through the dingy spiral of stairs he felt that maybe it was a little _**too**_ much._"The poor boy must be terrified... assuming he's even conscious,"_ Cobra thought idly to himself, but as he reached the final few steps a small sniffling sound echoed through the dark hallway from one of the cells, indicating that somewhere close a small child was crying... but that wasn't the only noise to be heard.

"You brat!" a shrill, and obviously older male yelled, "Look at me when I speak to you! Do you **_see_ **what you did to me!"

"_Toshi." _It was easy for Cobra to identify the source of such an annoying voice, but today he sounded particularly sadistic. With little thought Cobra drew his rapier and rushed into the cell, just in time to see Toshi's fist raised into the air over the child's head. Cobra's lips tore into a sneer, and in a split second he thrust the tip of his rapier at the center of Toshi's wrist, halting just as it barely pricked into the skin. "Did you not hear of my warning?" Cobra hissed lowly, fury settled in his tone despite his restraint, "Or did you choose to ignore it?"

The short-haired brunet froze in place as the tip of the blade bit into his flesh, and he soon realized that he had no choice but to lower his hand. A growl escaped him as he turned to face Cobra, his remaining dark eye glinting with hatred while the left was covered in a thick, bloodied bandage. "This matter doesn't concern you, _**boy!**_" Toshi remarked snidely.

"And that is where you are wrong," Cobra replied in a condescending tone, "It seems that you and Father both have failed to realize that the crime happened in _my _district." Slowly Cobra withdrew his blade from the man's wrist, but kept it drawn and held at the ready, "Now I suggest that you take your leave. I'm sure that Father needs his boots licked anyway."

"Why you-!" Toshi heatedly started to protest, but as he saw Cobra's grip tighten around the hilt of his blade he backed down. "Fine!" he yelled, loud enough for his voice to echo several times over through the dungeon cells, "But soon enough I will have my revenge on this little whelp!" Toshi's footsteps thundered as he stormed out of the cell, each and every distinctive thud being heard even as he rose up the spiral staircase.

After the obnoxious noise had faded away Cobra let out a sigh, and finally sheathed his golden rapier back into its scabbard. With the eyesore out of the way Cobra took in the sights on the small cell: the dark, filthy stone walls and floor, the molding pile of spare fabric and straw that was meant to be a bed, and of course, the room's intended occupant. The poor boy had been tied to a wooden chair, with his back facing both the bars, and Cobra. He stepped forward, allowing his footfalls to sound as he circled around the chair and stopped in front of the child. "You've landed yourself into quite a mess, haven't you, child?" Cobra said with a gentle smile.

The boy responded with gray eyes glaring and a voice muffled by a cloth gag that was tied around his mouth. With fervor he struggled against his bindings, but rather than the leather ties giving way the chair wobbled noisily against the stone floor.

It was perhaps a little _too_ amusing, and with a deep chuckle Cobra took a step closer; but the boy responded with fear in his eyes, and as he struggled harder to get away the chair slipped and started to topple over. Cobra's quick reflexes instantly took over, and he latched his hands onto the boy's delicate shoulders to keep the chair from falling. With the chair set stably back into place Cobra removed his bare hand, while the gloved one remained on the boy's shoulder, and carefully he pulled the gag away from the child's mouth.

"You fucking bastard!" the boy yelled immediately, "Let me go or I'll rip you apart!"

"Hmm?" Cobra voiced with an insincere tone of confusion, and knelt down to look him in the eyes, "You want me to release you after being so rudely threatened, child? Do you think me a fool?"

"Let me go, damn you!"

Cobra laughed at the furious response, and patted the boy on the head with his ungloved right hand, "Such a big temper for one so small."

The boy growled viciously and his grey eyes narrowed further. It was bad enough that he was dragged off into a shit hole such a this, but now rather than being threatened by an ugly old coot he was being patronized by some jerk trying to play nice! Angrily the dark-haired child thrashed his head back with his mouth open wide, and once he was in position he sharply crashed his teeth down onto the guy's hand. With his teeth still baring down the child smirked, and soon felt a rush of cool blood seep into his mouth.

Lucky for Cobra he had a strong tolerance for pain, and with a soft mutter of "Ow..." he pulled his hand free of the boy's teeth. Calmly he held his hand up to inspect the damage, and with a slight frown he then licked over the two small gashes in his fingers.

The child's eyes grew wide, and he stared in shock at the other male's tongue. Rather than a normal person's tongue his appeared the be split down the center, creating a forked appearance. It was an unexpected sight, and as the forked tongue split around either side of one of the bleeding fingers the child couldn't turn away, even after the freakish tongue had withdrawn into the other's mouth.

It was a look that Cobra had received on multiple occasions, and in a quiet, flat tone he gave the reason. "My punishment," Cobra explained, "for speaking out of turn as a child."

The boy merely scoffed and averted his eyes, setting his glare instead on the wall to the side with a crude mutter of, "Like I should give a damn."

Again Cobra chuckled, and offered the child a smile. "You may not care to hear detail of my punishment," he stated gently, but firmly, "but I'm sure that you'll find your own to be most intriguing."

The boy's head snapped back to face him, and with an uneasy but still rather perturbed look on his face he asked, "Huh?"

"You mean you don't know..?" Cobra remarked, and looked over the boy carefully. Never in all his years had he seen anyone quite like him: flawless light skin, dark bluish hair, fierce gray eyes... he was beautifully exotic, like a wild animal from an untamed forest. "As I suspected," Cobra stated a little worriedly, "You really are foreign to this area and its troubles." Carelessly Cobra plopped back onto the stone floor to sit down, his legs apart as he raised his right knee into the air and lazily set the matching arm onto it, with his left arm stretched behind himself to hold up the majority of his weight as he leaned back against it. "My father, the Serpent King as he likes to be called, runs these parts with a fist of iron, and a heart of ice," Cobra explained plainly, "He shows no mercy to those who displease him, and _**you**_, child, have done him the ultimate discourtesy. Three of my deceased brother's most trusted men died by your hand, and as you've seen my father's little 'yes man' is now even more disfigured than he was before. Stealing alone often ends with death, depending on my father's mood; can you imagine, then, what he has in store for you, child?"

"Shut up! I'm not a child!" the boy responded, and once again struggled against the leather bonds around his wrists and ankles.

"Hmm..?" Cobra tilted his head with piqued interest, and pivoted his right elbow over his raised knee to raise his hand to his cheek to lean against it, "Here you sit awaiting a horrible death and yet you are most concerned about how you are perceived..." For a brief moment Cobra considered the situation carefully, and with a flashing smirk he decided to change his tactics, "Alright then, I'll make you a deal. First you settle down, and then we'll talk man to man about your impending fate. I will no longer treat you as a child."

The boy glared, and though his fury reflected clearly in his gray eyes he stilled his movements and calmed his tone, "Fine."

Cobra smiled at his compliance, but very seriously he asked, "Are you ready to die yet?"

"If I gave up on life I wouldn't be struggling, now would I?" the boy responded, his pitch and tone sitting just shy of a yell but still remaining under control.

"And if you were to get loose what would you do?" Cobra inquired, "Would you scurry away only to be hunted like an animal and killed on sight?"

"I would fight back!" the boy practically roared, his patience already wearing thin.

A passing smile crossed Cobra's features, "So you would fight until your last breath then..? How romantic." His smile quickly faded, and was replaced by a desolate look of sadness and concern. "I regret to inform you that you will not live long by that creed," Cobra said solemnly, "no matter how strong your determination."

"Yeah, what's you point?" the other replied curtly, as if that was something that he was already aware of.

Cobra lowered his eyes for just a moment before scanning the boy over from the tip of his toes to the top of his head, analyzing his form with keen golden eyes. He was small of frame, and appeared vulnerable due to the ragged state of his bloodied clothes, but he presented himself with such fire and passion, and to have killed three of Viper's men it was clear that he was far stronger than his stature could display. He was both majestic and savage at the same time... Cobra couldn't deny it: he wanted him. "I would like to offer you an alternative," he answered with a faint smirk, "if you're willing to listen to my proposal."

The boy glared sharply, unnerved and set on edge after such a thorough visual inspection. "I'm listening," he responded, but the wariness in his voice suggested that he had already lost a majority of his interest.

"It would be a real shame for one as beautiful as you to perish under these circumstances. I know of a way to save you, but I would require something from you in return..." Cobra stated casually despite the unfaltering smirk on his lips, "Something that you may not be willing to give."

The boy shrank back in his seat with a disgusted glare as an unsettled chill rolled through every inch of his small, innocent body. "Wouldn't you have to untie me first?" he replied, his tone revealing an eagerness to try and make a run for it.

Cobra's smirk widened and he raised himself off of the floor, and with soundless, graceful steps he closed the distance between himself and the chair. Gently he stretched his gloved hand outwards, and stroked the boy's cheek with the back of his fingertips. "Yes, I would. But this is about more than just your body," he answered calmly, "I want your soul."

The smaller male shuddered, and moved away as best as he could while pulling at the leather bindings, "My soul?"

A frown replaced Cobra's smirk as the boy moved his delicate cheek away, and instead of trying again he placed his hand on the boy's thigh. "Yes," Cobra affirmed plainly, "I want you to pledge yourself to me, body and soul. You will follow my guidance and my instruction without hesitation, and you will remain in my company until I see fit to release you. In return, I will take responsibility for your actions, past present and future, and thus your life will be spared."

The boy shifted uncomfortably at the unwanted contact, and he stared intently at the other's hand. "So, I'll be..." he started to speak, but the words left him choked.

"You will be mine," Cobra claimed firmly, and quickly moved his hand away.

The small boy flinched as he saw the sharp movement, expecting to be struck, but instead a gentle hand set itself on his jaw and a set of dextrous fingertips lightly traced up along his ear. He shivered again and bit into his lower lip, and with a near-tearful and almost shy look on his face he meekly asked, "What do you intend to do with me?"

With a playful smirk Cobra answered him. "Probably nothing as bad as you're anticipating," he said with a slight laugh, "I would never force myself on you if that's what has you so worried, but that doesn't mean that I'll refrain from trying to seduce you from time to time."

The boy blushed faintly, but with a growl he turned his head to face away and scoffed, "Yeah, good luck with that..."

"_With this attitude he's practically asking for it,"_ Cobra mused to himself, taking the response as a challenge. In one swift motion he leaned in closer by the boy's ear, and ran his forked tongue up along the rim both on the inside and the outside before whispering hotly, "Mm, I'm sure that I could have you moaning with a single kiss if I really wanted to."

"Sh-shut up!" the boy retorted, cringing and sharply moving his head away as a dark blush crept onto his cheeks. It had felt weird...

Cobra smirked as the smaller male shirked away, and incidentally left his neck dangerously close to where his ear used to be. "The more you shy away the worse off you will be," Cobra forewarned, and placed a light nip on the boy's exposed neck before moving away to stand. With a certain level of amusement he watched as the boy slowly turned his head back and glared at him, but Cobra's response was set in an apathetic and uncaring tone, "So... now that you know the alternative to your fate which do you prefer? A gilded cage? Or a tragic death?"

For one last time the boy tried to make the leather bonds budge, but the task was impossible... He was faced with a complex choice: to throw away his pride and become someone else's possession, or to die. Already he had struggled hard for both his life, and for his freedom, but now he was being forced to give one of them up. For a few moments he remained silent, but finally, with a heavy heart he gave his answer, "... cage."

Cobra felt a sense of pride as he heard the answer, and with a subtle grin he replied, "Then pledge yourself me."

"What?" the boy responded abruptly, and looked up at the other male in mild confusion.

"'I,' whatever your name may be, 'hereby give myself, body and soul, to Master Cobra, until such a time that he releases me from my pledge to serve him.'" Cobra answered, giving a clear example of what he was expecting.

The boy stared at him in a state of disbelief, as if he must have been completely insane for suggesting such a thing, "You're joking?"

"I'm completely serious."

For a while the boy seemed to struggle with accepting such terms, but after the hearing the answer and seeing the matching serious look in the other male's eyes it was obvious that there was no getting out of this. "... I, Nezumi, give myself, b-" the boy faltered and choked on the word, but with a hard swallow he continued, "body and soul, to Master Cobra, until he releases me from my pledge to serve him..."

With an excited clap Cobra smiled proudly, the sudden sound causing the boy to jump in his seat. "Bravo!" Cobra exclaimed, and placed the gag back around the smaller male's mouth, "I'll go and make the official arrangements now."

The boy's grey eyes narrowed sharply as the cloth was set over his lips, and furiously he demanded to know why, but his muffled tone betrayed him with an incoherent "Mmphm mm!?"

"Well I can't just leave you to sit here yelling the whole time, can I?" Cobra responded with a laugh, "Now you just sit tight and don't go anywhere... Not that you have much choice in the matter."

Nezumi's glare intensified, and with a smothered, feral shout he tugged at the bindings and the gag.

Gently Cobra set a hand beneath the boy's chin to keep him still, and he leaned in to place a soft kiss over his covered lips. He smiled as the boy instantly froze with wide, innocent eyes, and with a kind look Cobra withdrew his hand and stepped back. "It won't be much longer, my little rat," he said smoothly, already making use of his abnormal name to properly claim him, "I still need to inform my father to make things official, but once I return I swear to you that things will be different."

Still near-paralyzed in shock, Nezumi slowly nodded, and after placing another light kiss over the piece of cloth his new master took his leave... All he could do now was sit there and wait, alone in the dark cell...

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**A/N: Well this chapter turned out much longer than I had planned for... but still I'm quite satisfied with the result!**


	2. Sacrifice

**A/N: To my first reviewers and my favorite/followers... you have my thanks! I'm glad that this story has had at least a little success thus far!**

**Warning: This chapter gets a little violent. Okay, graphically violent and perhaps a little disturbing. But I like violent. *grins***

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There was no easy way to prepare for what was coming, and Cobra knew this. Regardless of the final outcome there was still a substantial debt to be repaid, but... surely the boy would be worth it. _"Is there nothing that I wouldn't do to preserve something beautiful in this filth-stricken world..?" _Cobra mused to himself as he strolled, silent, through the halls once again. Here he was ready and willing to risk his very life for a beautiful stranger, and all on a whim that he may be able to slip through a loophole or two. Another turn around the lavish hallway and the mahogany double doors came in to view, complete with two well-muscled men standing guard on either side. As he approached he allowed his footfalls to sound, which gained him the attention of the two guards, but even with their eyes upon him Cobra simply continued his steady approach.

"Hey! Just what do you-"

Cobra interrupted the hulking man with the wave of his ungloved right hand, dismissing him as if he was shooing away something as small and insignificant as a pesky fly. The lack of intimidation left both guards completely befuddled, and by the time they realized what had just happened Cobra had already slipped past them and waltzed into the room. His heavy, distinctive footsteps announced his arrival immediately, and at a nonchalant pace he casually traversed the room to the large meeting table where a handful of gang members were deep in discussion of the brothel's recent income. _"Eight years have passed yet still I dare not speak before I am addressed..."_ Cobra thought solemnly, as a faint stinging pain lashed down the center of his tongue, _"A lesson well learned..."_

After a good half hour or so of patiently waiting the discussion finally came to a close, and all fell silent as the occupants of the room finally acknowledged the intruder. Cobra remained motionless even as he became the center of attention, with his unblinking gaze set on the man at the farthest end of the table. As their eyes locked they mirrored each other, with intense golden hues bright and gleaming as they harbored an equal amount of disgust and resentment for the other person. For a while they remained at a stalemate, but as the tension built between them the older male gave in. With a weary sigh he rubbed his forehead, then ran his hand back through his grey-speckled and faded black hair. "What is it _**this**_ time?" the man droned, his voice already resounding with impatience as he granted permission for the other to speak.

Finally Cobra moved, deeply bowing with his bare right hand hovering just above his heart while the gloved left one slipped behind his back. It was a show of respect and submission, but the added flourish in Cobra's elegant movements intentionally displayed a great deal of arrogance and threat behind the gesture. He rose without any semblance of expression, and in an impassive tone he gave his answer, "I would like to have a word with you in regards to the small boy who was brought in earlier."

A visible chill crept down the man's spine, and his glistening golden eyes narrowed in malcontent. "I don't want to hear you say anything about 'small boys' Cobra," he replied through sneering lips, clearly angered despite his efforts to remaining calm.

"_But of course..." _Cobra thought with an audible sigh, and returned the heated glare with a look of languid boredom as if he had grown tired of this particular recurring issue. "I'm afraid you'll have to bear with it this time, Father," Cobra replied unapologetically, "The child was a foreigner, and as such he was considered free game. And I say _**was**_ because he has now pledged himself to me." With a smirk Cobra took a step closer to the long meeting table, his arms folding over his chest as he continued, "He is my property, you see, and regarding our laws that gives me every right to atone in his place."

Disdain gleamed in the man's eyes as he was referred to as 'father,' but Cobra's finishing comment was what truly managed to ignite his rage. Here he was in the midst of an important meeting, and not only does his gay disappointment of a son interrupt to publicly lay claim to a young _boy_, but he intends to take on the child's punishment..? With an indiscrete growl the man rose from his chair, slamming his hands on the meeting table in his unbridled fury. "You would sacrifice your life!?" he yelled in disbelief, enraged to hear such an outlandish idea from his last living offspring.

Cobra chuckled under his breath as the self-entitled Lord Serpent so clearly lost his composure, and he responded with a simple shrug of his shoulders. "I won't have to," he answered cockily, his tone marking his amusement, "As of last week the three who were slain fell under my command, meaning that the boy's repayment is owed to me and me alone, and I have chosen a more useful method of payment than ending his life. As for anything that he may have stolen I'll pay for it myself, with added interest to appease the victim of the theft, of course." With that said Cobra silenced, and patiently awaited his father's response; but no reply was given...

Whispers broke out among the spectators as their esteemed leader was rendered speechless by his own son, but no matter how many ways they tried to look at it the truth was inevitably clear: all of Cobra's claims were justified within their code. By making the boy his own Cobra had isolated the incidents to his own region and chain of command, thus overriding all of the Serpent Lord's judgement.

However, there was still one offense that had not been accounted for, and the victim of the crime was not willing to let it slip under the radar so easily. "And what about me!?" Toshi's unmistakably sharp voice pitched over the clamor of the rest, "The little whelp owes me an eye!"

_"Alas... if only he could be as dumb as he looks,"_ Cobra inwardly droned, _"But, even I can admit that he is rightly owed compensation, and as planned, he will have it..." _Calmly he turned to fully face Toshi, and bowed deeply in his direction before rising again with his classic charming smile. "And you shall have mine," Cobra declared, his voice both steady and confident despite the radical claim.

"What!?" Toshi's piercing voice yelled in reply.

A few hushed gasps filled the room, and the tension elevated as the Serpent's low, rumbling breath revealed the extent of his anger despite his otherwise calm demeanor. _"Stubborn kid doesn't know when to learn..!" _Lord Serpent internally fumed as his heavy shoulder shook with rage, _"Fine! Let him have his little drama!"_

"I will atone in the child's place," Cobra rephrased, and at a bold, intrepid pace he strutted around the large meeting table, completely ignoring the gawking handful of high-ranking members with utter nonchalance as he moved past them. His gaze was kept locked on Toshi's single remaining eye with every step, and as Cobra finally closed the distance and stood before the pitiful excuse of a man he calmly reached his bare right hand behind his back to draw a small hidden knife from his belt. With the bladed end held in his palm Cobra knelt down and extended his hand to set the knife's golden hilt at Toshi's level, his gaze falling to the red-carpeted floor for just a passing second as he took a subtle, calming breath. From the very start this had been a part of Cobra's plan, and without regret he lifted his chin with fearless golden eyes watching as the blade was lifted from his hand.

"My lord? Do you... condone his actions?" Toshi called out with wariness in his tone, and he turned to his boss with an expectant look. Regardless of the laws this was still Lord Serpent's son, now his _**only**_ son, and no man in his right mind would allow such a thing to befall his offspring.

"Tch... let him do as he pleases," the Serpent retorted coldly despite the other man's expectations, and with golden eyes leering he glared down at his wayward child.

"May we press on and get this over with, Toshi?" Cobra remarked idly, his confident gaze still set on the man's hand that was grasped tightly around the knife, "I grow tired of kneeling at such a height before you of all people; you're really not my type."

The crude comment drove off any lingering feeling of hesitation, and with a merciless grasp Toshi snagged his free hand into Cobra's hair to wrench his head back. With the young man's eyes now gazing at the ceiling Toshi set the blade to his cheek, and slowly dragged the pointed tip to the corner of Cobra's left eye.

Instinctively his eye tried to close at the first tiny prick, but through the sheer force of willpower Cobra opened his eyes wide. An unnatural grin crept across his pale lips, and he settled his fearless gaze directly on Toshi's face. Cobra wanted to make sure that this day would not be easily forgotten, and that his unsettling smile would remain etched in Toshi's mind for the rest of his days. He wouldn't give Toshi - or anyone - the satisfaction of making him cower, or plead for mercy.

It was both chilling and disturbing the way Cobra so easily stared Toshi down when he was mere moments away from cutting out the young man's eye, and for just a moment Toshi's hand had started to shake. Despite his position in the notoriously brutal gang Toshi's hands had always been considerably clean, and though he would often talk a big game in truth he had never drawn a single drop of blood. Fear had always been his tactic; it was easy to make most people fear for their lives when they saw a blade or a gun, but Cobra, it seemed, was a far cry from the rest. With a sharp inhale Toshi steadied his nerves, and he tightened his grip around the knife. But even so he could not bear to watch; he closed his eyes, and plunged the blade forward.

Though a pained hiss rushed past his clenched teeth Cobra remained perfectly motionless as the knife punctured through with a distinctive squelching sound, and a mix of blood and clear, gelatinous fluids spurted forth from the large incision and started to seep down his cheek. Despite the intense agony and his body's natural response Cobra forced his eyelids to remain open as the gelatious orb collalpsed, and kept his muscles steady to avoid adding any extra damage.

As the blade cut through the fluids spewed, splashing over the knife and dripping to the floor, and with a terrified cry Toshi released the blade and jerked his liquid-coated hand away, and stared at the appendage in horror. The mix of fluids was shockingly warm as it trailed down his shaking fingers and streamed along his wrist, and no matter how hard he tried to turn away from the horrifying sight of his own hand now covered in blood he simply couldn't. His breath quaked, and his body froze as he struggled to accept his own actions...

It was then left to Cobra to remove the knife that was still wedged in his left eye, and with the slightest passing whimper he clasped his hand around the handle. He breathed in deep, and held his breath as he finally yanked the blade free. With a shaky exhale Cobra released his held breath, and crouched on the floor as he panted heavily and raised his ungloved right hand to cover the wound. He was no stranger to such pain, as his forked tongue could imply, but even so the agonizing throb weighed heavily on his resolve as the world around him started to spin. _"I cannot pass out now..." _Cobra told himself forcefully, _"I must not show them any weakness..."_ Despite the dizziness Cobra slowly rose to his feet, and though his legs barely served to support him he shuffled back to the center of the room. "My business is done, and I feel I have used up enough of your time, Father," he called out with a brief, and perhaps a tad wobbly, bow, "Now if you'll please excuse me, I shall take my leave."

The room fell silent as all eyes followed Cobra's movements, all eyes save a single pair with golden hues; the Serpent Lord had his eyes downcast, and shaded out of view. Whether he was angry, sad, or upset no one would know, but one thing remained clear: in the very end, he could not watch his son go through with the repayment. "Next order of business," he ordered in a flat, unreadable tone, and the meeting continued on as if nothing had happened...

It was a long and very awkward trek to the small infirmary near the front of the building, but with a combination of raw determination and outright stubbornness Cobra carried himself through the blurred and seemingly-moving halls. Of course, with the meeting still in session the true physician of the household was busy, which left his big-busted airhead of an assistant in charge. It wasn't that she was less skilled in the medical arts - in fact she was possibly the more advanced of the two doctors what with her somewhat twisted love of human anatomy - but in all other terms she lacked intelligence and was extremely childish... which is why her immediate response to seeing Cobra at the door with the bloodied remnants of an eye, was to poke it...

"O-ow..! Michiko! You do realize that causes _**pain**_, yes?" Cobra heatedly inquired, more exasperated than angry but still very unhappy with the sudden poke. He had finally started to grow numb to the throb of pain in the mutilated socket, but the unexpected touch had triggered a new wave of pain altogether.

"Aww, but it looks so cool!" the assistant whined in response and bounced up and down excitedly, which consequently sent her large breasts abounce as well. She visibly squirmed as she held back the urge to poke the exposed wound again, and with her mouth agape she 'oohed' and 'awed' at the sight.

"_I'm surprised she's yet given herself a black eye with those things and all her jumping..."_ Cobra mused to himself boredly, and with a single gloved finger set on the side of Michiko's arm he pushed her aside, and finally walked through the door. With reluctance Cobra took a seat on the patients' table, but before he could take a single second to relax or get comfortable the enormous pair of boobs were flung in his face.

"Come on, Co-Co! Let me touch it pleeeaaase!" the black-haired girl pleaded, using her favorite nickname for Cobra as she leaned forward for a better look at the wound, "Lemme touch it lemme touch it lemme touch it! I WANNA TOUCH IT!" Her arms flailed at her sides as she threw a mini-tantrum, and with a whine she cried, "You never lemme touch anymore Co-Co! You're so mean I just wanna touch it a little! Come on, pleeeaaase!? I'll be gentle this time I promise, just lemme touch it!"

With a deep breath Cobra raised his hand to his head, both pained by the gaping hole in his head and by Michiko's childlike shrieking. Not to mention the fact that in many ways it sounded... wrong... the way she refered to the wound as _**it.**_ "Okay, you may touch-"

"Yay!"

"-it," Cobra finished after pausing for the sudden - but expected - interruption, and he quickly raised his gloved hand with a single finger lifted to halt her from going in for another poke, "But! You may only touch it while you _**fix**_ it. Understood?"

"Fix it?" she responded, her previously extended finger held frozen in mid-air as she tilted her head innocently to one side, "Why would you want to get it fixed? It looks awesome!"

A sigh left Cobra's lips as he blankly stared at the ditzy woman. It was always the same when he visited the infirmary... Michiko's bright and bubbly attitude added to her lacking intelligence and the outrageously revealing nurse's outfit that the doctor had her wear would all serve to slowly - no, to _**very quickly**_ - work on Cobra's nerves. Today, however, he just didn't have the energy needed to deal with such trivial matters, and so, rather than sarcrastically telling her to gouge out her own eye and see if she would leave it untreated, he held his temperment in check. "Would you _**please**_ just do your job..?" he pleaded, if a little impatient, "And do not bother with the anesthesia. The pain I can put up with; the time wasted under sedation, I cannot."

"Okie Dokie!" Michiko exclaimed with another bounce of her large breasts as she raised an eager fist into the air. Sharply she turned to a small moving cart, and with an excited skip she raced it to the storage closet to grab her needed supplies: scalpel, forceps, sutures, bandaging, alcohol, and a few other choice items needed to stop the bleeding and remove the bloodied remnants of his eye. Giggling wildly with her tools in tow she returned to the patients' table, and with a wide, beaming smile she set her sights on Cobra. "Don't move, 'kay!?" she commanded as she pushed Cobra to lie on his back, and with one hand held on his chest to keep him pinned she quickly got to work...

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**A/N: See? Violent! Over 400 words to detail the stabbing of Cobra's eye! But don't worry - I'm skipping the full depth of repairing such a wound. Michiko was actually a spur of the moment idea... I did say that there'd be humor in the strangest of places, after all, and this chapter desperately needed some humor. I can admit there was a lack of Nezumi this time around, but the following chapters will most definitely have an abundance of the adorable little rat!**


	3. Selfishness

**A/N: To my recent reviewers and my favorite/followers... you have my thanks! Normally I respond to reviews with private messages, but alas I'm unable to respond to two recent ones in that manner. SO! I shall respond here! Carnivore I truly appreciate your love of the 'big words' that I tend to use! Perhaps one day you'll be able to leave a review or send me a message from your actual account, as I almost always answer my reviewers with sneak previews or special hints about the story! And Quest, I am absolutely thrilled that you find Cobra to be hot! It took quite a while to truly refine his personality and solidify his appearance to ensure that the forked tongue, numerous hidden scars, and the soon-to-be-placed eyepatch didn't make him seem horrific or brutish. I am absolutely overjoyed that my work has been a success and that Cobra has become the dark, handsome princely character I had hoped for!**

**And now, without further ado, on to the performance!**

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Darkness... silence... pain... darkness... silence... pain... darkness... silence... pain... It was all that Nezumi's brain had registered over the past hour: the cell was dark, everything was quiet, and his beaten body was still in pain. That was it. _"How long is this supposed to take!?" _the boy thought to himself angrily, and made yet another failed attempt to loosen his bindings. He was sure that the leather straps had already caused him to bleed with all of the struggling, but even so it was better than just sitting there! The chair was uncomfortable, the silence was irritating, his wounds were still throbbing, it felt like he was _**dying**_ of thirst, and the waiting was driving him completely insane! Once again the boy felt like a trapped rat..! Whatever his new '_master_' had in store it would be a welcomed relief so long as he could at least move..!

Or would it?

"_Dammit..!"_ Nezumi cursed as a million possibilities flowed across his mind. Anything was possible..! For all he knew his master could be some kind of freak! He may dress him up as a girl or stick him in some sort of giant rat-suit..! Or he could be planning to tie him up somewhere else with chains or lock him in a tiny cage and just stare at him! Hell _staring_ at him may be the least of Nezumi's potential worries! _"Fucking bastard looked at me like some sort of pedophile..!" _the boy yelled inwardly, and with an unsettled but muffled groan he pulled furiously at the leather straps.

Freedom... All he had ever wanted was his freedom... No one to use him, no one to order him around, no one to make demands of him, no one to hurt him for the sheer fun of it, and no one to foolishly think that they had the right to do with him as they pleased... _"Let him think he can own me..!" _the boy seethed as he once again gave up on breaking out of the cell, _"Let him __**think**__ he can call himself my master and get away with it..! I'll just wait for him to sleep and then I'll get rid of him for good!" _

Footsteps then shook him from his thoughts, and he could distinctively hear someone shuffling down the spiral stairway. They were heavy, staggered, and on occasion he could hear the chilling chink of metal against stone. Nezumi held his breath and listened closer, and on occasion a low, distorted groan would echo through the cells...

The sounds quickly drew closer as the person reached the end of the stairway, and the boy could clearly hear the low, unsteady panting matching the rhythm of the footsteps. Closer and closer still the noises approached, until they paused short at the entrance to his cell. Every muscle tensed, and very slowly Nezumi tried to turn his gaze to see behind him. He had little luck, and within seconds the metallic door was unlatched, allowing the footsteps to come closer. They slowed to a stop as a hand holding a bloodied blade set itself on the back end of the chair, and finally the silhouette of a face moved closer into Nezumi's view - a face with a bandaged eye... The boy's eyes clenched shut as he thought of the middle-aged coot's threats of revenge from earlier, and though he tried to hide it a terrified whimper sounded in his throat. He felt the blade slide against the skin of his wrist, and...

_Riiiip..._

The first of the leather bindings broke the silence as they were torn apart by the blade, and shortly after came the second set. Cobra had yet to fully recover from the constant spinning of the world around him, but even so the last thing he wanted to do was leave the poor child in the dungeon all night. With one hand still set on the chair for support Cobra clambered to the front, and knelt down on the floor to cut through the straps that were set around the boy's ankles.

"_Cobra..?"_ Nezumi soon realized as he opened his eyes, but with his new master's head bent low to properly position the blade all he could really see to identify him was the unmistakable blond hair. With his hands freed Nezumi finally removed the gag from his lips, and as the last of the leather bindings were cut through he almost-worriedly asked, "The Hell happened to you..?"

After a brief moment Cobra looked up, as blood slowly trickled down the left side of his cheek from the temporary gauze eyepatch. "It's nothing that I wasn't prepared for," he answered plainly before rising again and trying to move away, but the sudden wave of dizziness sent him swaying until he latched his hand back onto the chair.

Nezumi stood up from the chair as he was finally freed, but with Cobra's added weight on the back it immediately started to topple. Quickly the boy set his hands down on the seat to hold the chair steady, and with a frown he looked up the older male and firmly replied, "You call that an answer?"

As the dizziness faded Cobra smiled and raised himself off of his temporary support. "From the beginning I knew that I could only pardon you from the murders and the theft," he explained plainly, and crossed his ungloved right hand over the left side of his face to reposition the patch, "An eye for an eye... That was the price to pay for the wound that you gave Toshi, but rather than letting him have yours I made him take mine."

The truth settled in as an unwelcome burden, and with wide eyes Nezumi stared at the bloody wound. "What..?" the boy asked in disbelief as a feeling of guilt started to dawn on him, "Why the hell would you do that for me!?"

"Because you are mine," Cobra answered plainly with a weak laugh at the child's show of anger. _"Perhaps I should have told him the full extent of my plan, for his sake,"_ he thought solemnly, _"but as stubborn as he seems I'm sure he would never have agreed had he known. It's for the best in the end... even if he hates me for it."_

Cobra's simple reasoning stung, and with his teeth grinding together Nezumi glared at the floor. He had never asked for this! And who in their right mind would give up their eye for someone they didn't even know!? It was ludicrous! And _**now**_ it wasn't like he could just up and leave whenever he got the chance..! That'd be ungrateful, completely heartless..! And he definitely couldn't take _**kill**_ Cobra to escape..! It wasn't like the idiot had simply gotten him out of some trouble; the selfish jerk had gone and sacrificed an eye for him without even mentioning that this crazy idea was actually _**planned! **__"It's my fault he..." _Nezumi thought to himself, but couldn't finish the sentence as the reality still evaded his mind's grasp. Cobra had lost his eye... his face forever scarred for all to see... and all for him... _"What the hell is __**wrong**__ with this man!?"_

For a while Cobra had expected the boy to respond, but silence remained the only answer. Gently Cobra extended his gloved hand towards Nezumi, offering a smile as the boy finally looked up before calmly asking, "You're still going to stay with me, aren't you?"

Nezumi swallowed hard as his eyes were drawn back to the bloodied patch, and his body involuntarily flinched at the sight. How much pain must it have caused, to have his eye removed? How much blood had he lost between then and now..? How much fear did he feel as he knowingly went through with this cruel fate..? _"I can't even imagine..." _Nezumi thought to himself with an increased feeling of dread as the reality sunk in deeper. Had it not been for Cobra, imagining that sort of trauma would have been the least of his concerns. He would have _**felt**_ the pain... _**His**_ blood would have spilled... _**He**_ would have shaken in fear... And then, after all of that, he would have _**died**_...

Again it seemed that the boy wasn't going to answer, and with a playful smirk Cobra withdrew his hand to fold his arms across his chest. "Shall I carry you then, my little rat?" he inquired in a humored tone. In his current weakened condition Cobra knew that such a task was impossible - after all he could just barely manage to hold himself up - but at the very least he expected that such a question would finally warrant a response from the speechless child.

The boy's pensive thoughts vanished as the question reached his ears, and his gray eyes sharply narrowed. "Don't even think about it you jerk..!" Nezumi replied with a threatening glare as his fists clenched, ready to fight. The reaction was strictly instinctive, and had almost come as a shock to the young boy... Once again the guilt steadily replaced his anger, and no sooner than he struck the vicious pose did he drop out of it. He set his faltering glare to the floor and lowered his shaking shoulders, but even so he couldn't force himself to apologize for the outburst. The word 'sorry' remained stuck on his tongue, polluting his mouth with the bitter taste of shame.

A smile formed over Cobra's features as he watched the child's temperament transition from the sudden flash of anger to the following regretful stance, and perhaps a little unsteadily he knelt down to better match the boy's height. Gently Cobra set his gloved left hand on Nezumi's cheek, and lifted his chin to look him in the eyes. "Let's go home, Nezumi..." Cobra said softly, and lowered his hand to offer it to the boy once more, "To tell the truth I should be resting now, but my first priority was retrieving you."

"_He isn't mad..?"_ Nezumi thought to himself curiously as Cobra remained so collected despite the boy's yelling. He strained to find the slightest hint of malice in his master's remaining golden eye, but though Cobra looked weary and exhausted there was only compassion and understanding to be seen. _"Why do I keep running into these sympathetic idiots..!?" _the boy inwardly groaned, and with a subtle frown he set his sights on the offered hand. It was obvious enough that Cobra was barely even standing, but even _**if**_ he decided to run there remained the simple fact that he had no idea where to run _**to.**_ "I don't have a home..." Nezumi replied adamantly and turned his gaze away to frown at one of the dingy stone walls, but despite his curt response he carelessly plopped his hand onto Cobra's to accept his offer of being taken away from here.

"You do now," Cobra replied with a passing smirk, and lowered his lips to the boy's hand to place a kiss over his small fingers before rising back to his feet. For a moment Cobra was once again overcome by the sudden wave of dizziness, but shortly after raising his bloodied right hand to his head his sense of balance was restored. _"It's a long walk back to my chambers... At this rate I'll barely be able to make it," _he warily mused to himself, but even so he rallied the remnants of his dwindling strength to press on.

The grip around Nezumi's hand was barely clinging on, and the extent of his so-called master's weakness started to show as he took the first few staggering steps forward. Physically it'd be easy, _so very easy_, to slip away and make a run for it, and the thought continued to dance in circles around the boy's mind... But he simply couldn't... The boy's jaw clenched as he walked alongside his master at an agonizingly slow pace, and he soon found himself all the more torn between the desire to flee, and an unwarranted thought to _**help**_ the sick bastard who had laid claim to him. As the metal bars clanged shut behind them as they exited the small cell Nezumi's decision was made, and he instantly slipped his right hand out of Cobra's delicate grasp.

Cobra had barely noticed that Nezumi's hand had left his own, until he felt a slight pull at his arm and a sudden bump against his leg. Curiously Cobra turned his head to get a view of his blinded left side, and much to his surprise he found that the boy had set Cobra's hand on his left shoulder and was holding it there with both hands to keep the grasp steady. He smiled as he noticed the determined look in his boy's forward-facing eyes, and with a gentle squeeze he managed to call Nezumi's attention up towards him. "Thank you, my little rat," Cobra said in a soft whisper with a gentle smile.

Nezumi's eyes narrowed at Cobra's mark of appreciation, but he was quick to set his gaze away to avoid glaring straight at him. "Whatever... Just hurry up and get me out of here already," he muttered curtly under his breath.

It was in that manner that the two shuffled through the seemingly endless halls... Nezumi managed to support a portion of Cobra's weight on his shoulders and through most of it kept him from collapsing on the spot, and with Cobra's direction and lead they avoided drawing too much attention from the occasional passerby... By his actions it was made very clear that Cobra did not want to appear weak in front of anyone, as he seemed to push himself twice as hard every time he was set in the sights of another person. A few times it came as a relief to Nezumi - or rather it was a relief to his shoulders since it gave him a small break from holding Cobra steady - but even so it struck him as a little strange...

"_I don't get it..." _Nezumi thought to himself idly as Cobra once again paused to lean against the wall to catch his breath once no one else was around, _"He tries so hard to hide this from everyone else but me... What's the point?" _For the first time since they had started their journey Nezumi glanced up at the older male... In the dim, dungeon-like cell he had barely noticed just how much blood was covering Cobra's fur-lined coat, or the thick smears of red that lined the side of his face and traveled down to his neck. Even his pale blonde hair had been dyed with patches of red, and from Nezumi's angle the few droplets of blood that continued to trickle from the blood-soaked gauze almost looked like tears. Slowly the boy leaned forward, his hands still set firm on Cobra's as he held it to his shoulder... His remaining eye was lightly closed, and his though his lips were slightly parted his chest remained eerily still. "Cobra..?" Nezumi called out a little more worriedly than intended, but kept his gaze on his master's face.

Slowly Cobra's eye fluttered open, and with a weak smile he glanced down at the boy before forcing his body to raise off of the wall. "Sorry," he stated with a slight laugh, "It seems I may have taken a longer break than intended..." His smile soon faded as he felt another droplet of blood stream down the side of cheek, and he quickly made an attempt to wipe it away with his free hand only to smear even more blood in its place. _"I told her we should have cauterized it..." _

"How much farther?" Nezumi asked firmly, his lips pulling into a frown at the handprint of blood on Cobra's cheek. _"At this rate he'll bleed out before we get anywhere..!" _he thought uneasily, but the feeling of concern left him further unsettled, _"Dammit! Why should I even care..? It's his own damn fault this happened to him!"_

It was a very good question, but the haze in Cobra's vision made it hard to tell... With the back of his hand he rubbed the cloudiness from his eye to get a good look at where they were, and as soon as he realized their location he couldn't help but laugh... a lot...

"_Shit, now he's gone delirious!" _Nezumi fretted as a clear look of worry spread over his face. "Hey! Quit laughing and answer me!"

After a final chuckle Cobra looked down at him, and with a half-embarrassed grin he pointed to the door on the other side of the hallway. "I probably would have walked right past it had you not said anything," he admitted shamelessly, but he wouldn't dare admit that he had possibly led them in circles the whole time.

Nezumi moved one of his hands to hold it over his face as he shook his head, but hidden beneath his palm was an amused smile. "Idiot," he scoffed plainly, and with his hand placed back over Cobra's he practically dragged the taller male across the hallway. Strangely, it was the _**only**_ door on that entire wall of the hallway... How could anyone possibly miss it?

The sudden jerk of the boy's movement had almost made Cobra stumble, but luckily he managed to regain his balance moments shy of placing his blood-drenched hand against the door. _"I'm starting to think he may actually be worried about me..."_ he mused to himself as Nezumi hurriedly opened the door, _"How interesting..."_

Curiously Nezumi looked into the newly revealed room, and with a frown he raised his gaze back to Cobra. "You sure this is your room?" he asked bluntly, as if the answer would be an obvious no. It looked more like a lounge than anything, with multiple couches and chairs, large bookshelves and grand paintings lining the walls, ancient-looking statues poised in various places, tables holding a wide array of drinks and all kinds of snacks, and absolutely no sign of a bed or anything remotely close to bedroom furniture.

"I wouldn't call this my room, exactly," Cobra replied with a subtle smile as he took the lead through the enormous room, "but it is the foyer of my chambers. I realize that it may look like a bit much at the moment but it does serve its purpose when I host meetings or celebrations with my district."

"_**Your**_ district..?" Nezumi repeated as he slowly walked at Cobra's side to keep him stable, "So what, you're some kind of fancy politician with a secret fetish for little boys?" It was a crude question, but it was honest.

With a wide smile Cobra laughed, so much so that he had to stop and lean against one of the doorways to keep from collapsing. _"It's only been a few minutes and already I can tell..." _he thought to himself as he stifled his laughter and caught his breath, _"I'm going to love him." _

Nezumi once again glared at the older male, and in an annoyed tone he demanded, "What's so damn funny, huh!?" Cobra _**had**_ to be delirious! Or insane! Or... something! Who in their right mind would _**laugh**_ at that kind of accusation!? Even if it were true shouldn't he be _**denying**_ it!?

"You are," Cobra answered plainly, and reached into his jacket to remove a hidden key, "No one else has ever spoken to me in such a manner before... It's cute."

"_Cute..?" _Nezumi's thoughts repeated, and the comment quickly struck a nerve. "I am not cute!" the boy growled in response, his gray eyes gleaming with rage as his hands tightly tensed around Cobra's.

Again Cobra responded with laughter, and after unlocking the bedroom door he set his full attention on Nezumi. "Indeed you are," he rebutted casually, "Though you may not be completely wrong, even if you missed a few details." A smirk settled on Cobra's lips as he pushed the door open, "Since my father is entitled as the Serpent _**King**_ that would make me a prince, as opposed to a politician. And while it's true that my attraction has always been towards my own gender I can say that currently you're the only one who has my interest - child or not."

The response left Nezumi momentarily speechless. _"Did he just agree with my insult..?"_ the boy thought to himself as he returned Cobra's smirk with a look of disbelief. Politician, prince, what's the difference? And where did he find the nerve to say that Nezumi was the only one he was attracted to!? "Tch. Is that supposed to make me feel _**special**_ or something..?"Nezumi scoffed, but even though he would never admit it to himself the declaration did manage to bring a flutter to his stomach.

The comment quickly captured Cobra's attention, and as he took the lead through the doorway he replied, "I'm really not sure... _**Does**_ it make you feel special to know that, my little rat?" In truth Cobra had set no intentions behind his words - it was a simple, honest statement. Whatever effect his honesty may have had was completely beyond his control, but for Nezumi to immediately suspect such a thing meant that he had quite possibly felt that way...

"O-of course not!" Nezumi hastily replied, and perhaps even more hastily he released Cobra's hand and slipped out from beneath his grip to fold his arms over his chest and sulk. As much as he hated the sensation, it felt good to be wanted because of himself and not just because of his age... But, still, it was an unwanted feeling.

With a smile Cobra closed the door behind them, and for the moment left the boy to his sulking. It was much easier to move around now that he was back in the safe confines of his elegant room, but still there were a few other matters to tend to before he could allow himself to rest...

Nezumi's attention broke free of his brooding as he heard another door open, and as his eye followed the noise Cobra vanished behind it. For the moment, Nezumi was completely alone... He frowned as his conscience once again told him that he couldn't leave, and so, rather than bolting for the door, Nezumi cautiously walked further into the dim-lit room.

It was far less luxurious than the rest of the extravagant manor, with a corner of simple bookshelves holding volume after volume of whatever text, while the opposing corner held shelving units for a wide assortment of metallic parts both small and large that surrounded a large workbench. Centered in between the two corners was an extremely large four-poster bed with a black framed canopy holding translucent white curtains over light grey bedding, and set directly across in the center of the facing wall was a huge bay window that showed a clear view of the night sky, and, perhaps a bit to Nezumi's disdain, revealed that they were at least three stories high... The room was still lavishly decorated, but when compared to the rest of what Nezumi had seen - dungeon excluded of course - it almost appeared to be empty.

Finally Nezumi made it to the very center of the large room, and with a passing sigh he took a seat on the dark red carpet. He was still sore after the merciless beating he had received: the initial punch to the face, the repeated slams against the ground, and the countless kicks that came in a steady stream all over his tiny form... But at least he was alive. And intact. Nezumi frowned again as he laid back on the floor, but no sooner than he had closed his eyes did the sound of an opening door immediately alert him. As he sat up again his sights were immediately drawn to Cobra, his bloodstained coat now gone and replaced by a white long sleeved button-up shirt. A few spatters of blood remained on the silky fabric, and the left side of his face was still smeared with red, but it was at least _**some**_ improvement. "What's that..?" Nezumi asked in a slight mumble as Cobra set a small box down on the workbench near the doorway.

"Medical supplies," Cobra replied plainly before looking down at him with a gentle smile and beckoning him to come closer, "Did you somehow forget about your own injuries, my little rat?"

"Did you forget about yours?" Nezumi answered with implied sarcasm as he rose and approached the large table.

With a brief chuckle Cobra shook his head, "No, I haven't forgotten. But my first priority is taking care of you." Without expecting an answer Cobra busied himself with removing the different sized bandages and cleaning agents from the box of supplies, but this time, it seemed, his words of kindness would not go unanswered.

"Oh yeah? Well who's to say I even _want _someone to take care of me?"

Cobra froze as the boy's words hit his ears, but he simply smiled as he turned to face him. "No one," he replied, and gently set his recently-cleaned bare hand over Nezumi's left eye, "But that doesn't mean you don't need it."

Instantly Nezumi shoved Cobra's hand away, chilled by the subtle reminder of what he would have lost, and by the cold, corpse-like touch of Cobra's hand. "Alright, I get it!" Nezumi yelled harshly, but despite his cruel tone his stance was submissive as his eyes lowered to the floor and his shoulders slumped. "I owe you... a lot..." he mumbled in defeat, but raised his gaze shortly after with a stubborn look in his eye and dramatically pointed at Cobra, "But I can take care of these wounds on my own, got it? So go lay down already! Or did you forget that I had to practically drag your ass back here?"

For a moment Cobra stared at Nezumi in shock as he dared such a commanding tone, but the shock was followed by a great deal of humor. He forced back a laugh, and with a faint smirk he leaned forward to nip the boy's pointed finger, holding it gently between his teeth as he dragged his forked tongue along the digit and pulling away immediately after. "Very well, Nezumi, I'll give in to your demands," Cobra replied with the slightest hint of a hidden innuendo.

A blush rose over Nezumi's cheeks and his heart skipped over a few beats as an unfamiliar heat rushed through his body, but no matter how hard he tried to think of a comeback his thoughts remained stuck on a single, unwanted drive... The feel of Cobra's tongue against his finger had felt oddly good, and a certain other part of his young body was wanting it too. "Sh-shut up!" Nezumi finally managed to respond, and he quickly moved past Cobra to hide the blush on his face.

Cobra chuckled as he moved away from the bench to approach his bed, but with a sly smirk he turned back with a final reply. "That's 'shut up, _**Master**_' for you, my little rat."

The word dropped on Nezumi like an iron weight, but it added more heat to his earlier thoughts. He couldn't speak, and with his teeth clenched he dug through the supplies to distract himself. _"Damn him..! That was a cheap shot!"_

Cobra's smirk soon faded into a smile as he assessed Nezumi's reaction, but he had claimed that he would follow the boy's order... It was more of a relief than expected once Cobra crawled over to the center of his bed, and before he could even think to slip under the blankets his uninjured eye closed, leaving Nezumi alone once again...

* * *

**A/N: I am absolutely loving the young Nezumi! Cocky, dangerous, temperamental, and perhaps a little bit paranoid! Granted, there was very little to go on through the anime with Nezumi at this age, so it is quite possible that I've perhaps embellished his childish nature a bit **_**too **_**much... but I think I'm still in plausible range, yes? ... maybe...? **_**Hopefully..?**_

**... so rare that I second-guess myself... *stalks off to brood in a corner and contemplate the dreaded possibility of having Nezumi out of character***


End file.
